Brian Stoddart talks about A MADRAS MIASMA

Earlier this month I introduced Brian Stoddart and his debut mystery A MADRAS MIASMA to Crime Watch readers. Brian is a New Zealand academic and author who has worked all over the world, and has recently become a published crime writer, with his Inspector Le Fanu series set in 1920s India.

Here's the blurb for A MADRAS MIASMA:

"Madras in the 1920s. The British are slowly losing the grip on the subcontinent. The end of the colonial enterprise is in sight and the city on India's east coast is teeming with intrigue. A grisly murder takes place against the backdrop of political tension and Superintendent Le Fanu, a man of impeccable investigative methods, is called in to find out who killed a respectable young British girl and dumped her in a canal, her veins clogged with morphine." 

Now you can listen to a great free podcast with Brian and interviewer Stuart Beaton about his career, writing, and debut historical crime novel (see above).

Most recently an Emeritus Professor and Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe University in Australia, Brian has worked as a higher education consultant on programmes in the United States, the United Kingdom, Cambodia, Laos, Syria, Jordan, and also worked in education roles in India, Malaysia, Canada, the Caribbean, China, and Southeast Asia. Who says that teachers 'just teach', and don't do?

On his page about the interview, Beaton says "Brian is a fascinating author to talk with, partly because he's naturally entertaining, but mostly because he genuinely enjoys his craft! This interview ranges over a huge territory, from how he came to work in academia, through his years in India, to researching and writing the book, and on into the future of publishing." Thanks to Stuart Beaton for publishing this podcast.

You can read more about Brian Stoddart here, and A MADRAS MIASMA here.

Radio New Zealand interview: Julie Thomas

Last Sunday, bestselling New Zealand crime writer Julie Thomas was interviewed for the Standing Room Only show on Radio New Zealand. Thomas was a self-publishing success story a few years ago, with her debut novel THE KEEPER OF SECRETS being picked up by a large overseas publisher after doing very well in downloadable ebook format.

This month, Thomas released her second novel, the blackly comic crime thriller BLOOD WINE & CHOCOLATE. The reader and reviewer response has been terrific, with the book immediately leaping to #1 on the local fiction bestseller list, knocking Eleanor Catton's Man Booker Prize wining THE LUMINARIES, which had owned the position for much of the past 18 months, from the top spot.

You can listen to the 15-minute audio interview below:

Talking Kiwi crime fiction (audio of festival session)

Back in early 2012 I had the privilege of chairing a great session on New Zealand crime writing at the New Zealand International Arts Festival. Sitting onstage with three terrific contemporary writers who have all taken the genre in our country to new heights and added new things, in different ways, was a great experience. You can read my thoughts at the time about the entire weekend here.

Paul Thomas is the 'godfather of New Zealand crime writing' thanks to his Ihaka books in the 1990s, and had at the time of our hourlong session at the Arts Festival recently returned to penning pages of murder and mayhem with DEATH ON DEMAND, which would go on to win the Ngaio Marsh Award. Vanda Symon is the Queen of contemporary Kiwi crime fiction, a three times Ngaio Marsh Award finalist, and very knowledgeable about literature in general (hosting a radio show and studying for a PhD). Paul Cleave is arguably New Zealand's most successful novelist of the past decade, in global terms, having topped bestseller lists in Europe and racking up award wins and nominations in NZ, France, and the USA.

We had an absolutely wonderful session before a great crowd. You can listen to the full session, thanks to Radio New Zealand, here:


Here's the official blurb about the New Zealand crime writing sessions, from the Arts Festival brochure:

Three of New Zealand’s best crime writers discussed bringing one of the world’s most popular forms of storytelling into a distinctly New Zealand setting.

Paul Cleave’s Christchurch-set thrillers are critically acclaimed worldwide. His debut, The Cleaner, is one of the biggest selling novels to come out of New Zealand. Paul Thomas dragged local murder mysteries into modernity with popular thrillers in the late 1990s and early 2000s. After a decade-long hiatus, Thomas returns with Death on Demand. Called ‘New Zealand’s contemporary Queen of Crime’ by the New Zealand Listener, Vanda Symon is the creator of the bestselling Sam Shephard novels, set in Otago and Southland; the latest in the series is Bound. Craig Sisterson chaired this session.

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The state of Kiwi crime: Ngaio Marsh Award on radio

Following the announcement of Liam McIlvanney as the winner of the 2014 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, Liam and I (in my role as Judging Convenor) were interviewed by Lynn Freeman, live on Radio New Zealand, on Sunday afternoon. After 10 minutes of non-stop laughter and banter before we went live, both Liam and I managed to come across as quite serious and professional, at least for a while.

We canvassed several interesting things in the interview, including the state of New Zealand crime writing, what makes a crime novel a crime novel, recognition for New Zealand writers, New Zealand reader preferences and buying habits, and much more. You can listen to the broadcast here:

James Lee Burke in discussion with Kim Hill

It's no secret that I'm a huge admirer of James Lee Burke, both for the quality and depth of his storytelling, and his generosity, wit, and wisdom when I've had the privilege to interview him.

I was chatting to John Connolly, himself a heck of a writer and terrific raconteur, recently at the Sydney Writers Festival, where he'd told an audience that Burke was the world's finest living crime writer. That you could disagree, but you'd be wrong.

I agree with Connolly. As much as there are many exceptional crime writers around nowadays, who take the genre into amazing depths, with fantastic prose and characters, for me Burke sits atop the mountain. He is the crime writer's crime writer, even if he is not as widely appreciated by mainstream readers as some others. It's no surprise that when I talk to other crime writers about the writers they most admire or enjoy, or their favourite characters in crime fiction, Burke and his long-time protagonist Dave Robicheaux, are mentioned more than any other. In a field of giants, Burke towers at the tallest Kauri. Though in his humble and self-effacing nature, I'm not sure you'd ever get him to even consider that.

As I said in a post last week:

"Like many, I don't like to pick favourites, as I guess there's that underlying feeling that by picking one thing over another, one awesome person over others, we are in some way diminishing the other people, ... But deep down I know the truth. If someone was about to go all Sons of Anarchy or Game of Thrones gruesome death scene on me if I didn't spill my guts, it would take less than a second for me to take a stand and choose my favourite interviewee: James Lee Burke. 

There are so many reasons I could give, but perhaps a snapshot of my most recent interview with the great man provides some insight: we chatted for more than an hour, and his then-latest book was mentioned for less than a few minutes of that. It was an interview timed for a book release, but we chatted about everything from the nature of war, social media as the modern Roman Coliseum, the Anzacs, art in genre writing, humanity, and so much more. Burke was engaging, intelligent, compassionate, and kind. I know his books aren't for everyone, but I am very glad that I enjoy them so much, and that I've been lucky enough to interview him over the phone a couple of times. His work, and he himself, resonate with me."

Last weekend, renowned Radio New Zealand host Kim Hill had a similar experience with Burke, on the eve of the publication of his latest novel, WAYFARING STRANGER. The 45 minute interview covers all manner of thought-provoking topics and world issues, and will make you think. Have a listen:

Crime pays for New Zealand writers

Further to my post from Saturday about an academic researcher suggesting that New Zealand had entered a golden age of crime writing in the past 20 years, you can listen to Dr Jenny Lawn talk about our particular brand of crime writing, from an interview with Radio New Zealand earlier this month. Lawn has written a chapter on crime writing for the Oxford History of the Novel. 

Have you read any recent New Zealand crime writing? What do you think of our authors? Are our books 'darkly funny and ingenious'?

Ben Sanders on Radio New Zealand

Radio New Zealand is certainly one of the better supporters of New Zealand and overseas crime and thriller writing amongst our mainstream media, regularly featuring authors and book reviews. I've even been interviewed about the Ngaio Marsh Award on air by them, for Jim Mora's terrific Afternoons programme, which is listened to nationwide.

Yesterday afternoon, Mora had Ben Sanders, bestselling author of the Auckland-set Sean Devereaux novels, and an upcoming US-set thriller that has been options for film adaptation. As Mora noted, Sanders is an:

... author who had his first book published when he was 20. It topped the New Zealand Adult Fiction Bestseller List for several weeks, and was long-listed for the Ngaio Marsh Award. Not a bad effort for a full-time student and part-time writer, but it was just the start. His fourth novel, yet to be finished, has already been optioned by Warner Brothers in a movie deal that could see his name in the same kind of lights - the bright dazzling kind - as Ngaio Marsh herself.

You can listen to the 37 minute audio interview above.

Talking about Kiwi crime: my Radio NZ interview

Today I was interviewed by Jim Mora for the "Critical Mass" section of his popular Afternoons programme on Radio New Zealand. We talked about New Zealand crime fiction, including a little about the establishment of the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, an off-the-cuff mini-review by me of each of the four finalists, and a brief discussion about where things are headed.

Jim is a great interviewer, and I felt completely at ease - which was good because I hadn't prepared anything, and didn't realise I was going to have to talk about each of the four finalists individually, in a mini-review type of way. Hopefully I did the books and authors justice. Listening back over the interview (click above to listen), I am pretty happy with how it went - not too many 'ums' and 'ahs', and I managed to refrain from swearing or stumbling over my words much.

Hope you enjoy the interview. Feedback always welcome.

Vanda Symon talks to Plains FM

Click on the image above (or here) to listen to a 13-minute long audio interview with acclaimed Dunedin crime writer Vanda Symon - the "Queen of contemporary New Zealand crime" - broadcast recently on Plains FM as part of its Women on Air programme, highlighting excellent female writers.

Symon talks about her latest book, standalone thriller THE FACELESS, amongst other things.

Yvonne Eve Walus talks to Plains FM

A few weeks ago, Auckland writer Yvonne Eve Walus was interviewed on the Plains FM radio station, about her crime writing.

Recently, I had the pleasure of chairing a crime fiction panel on which Walus was a member, at the well-attended 'Midwinter Murderfest' event at Takapuna Library (see photo, right).

Walus, who was born in Poland, spent her teenage years in South Africa, travelled extensively, and now has spent the past several years living in New Zealand. Just like her diverse geographic ‘homes’, Walus also has many literary homes; she writes in several genres, including crime, romance, short stories, poetry, and more. She is a Doctor of Mathematics, a wife, and a mother, as well as a writer.

Her most recent crime novel is MURDER @ PLAY, a prequel to her debut MURDER @ WORK, which was shortlisted for the South African Writers’ Circle Novel Award. Although she now lives in New Zealand, Walus’s murder mysteries have thusfar been set in her teenage home of South Africa, particularly dealing with the period around the end of Apartheid in the 1990s. MURDER @ PLAY, along with its predecessor MURDER @ WORK, is set in the “tumultuous and exotic South Africa of the past” and stars amateur detective Christine Chamberlain, who has been described as “Stephanie Plum with a brain”.

Here is the back cover blurb for MURDER @ PLAY:

“Every marriage needs a touch of mystery, or does it?

In the new free South Africa of 1994, men are still boss, women carry handguns for self-protection, and some mistakes can change your life forever.

When a body is found during their weekend away with friends, Christine Chamberlain must use her brilliant mathematical mind to prove her husband’s innocence... whether he’s innocent or not.

When it comes to your loved ones, is it possible to know too much?"

Walus also contributed a mystery story to the British Crime Writers’ Association anthology GUILTY CONSCIENCES (edited by Martin Edwards) in 2011. She will have a new crime thriller coming out soon.

You can listen to the 15mins long radio interview with Walus here.

New Zealand crime panel on Radio New Zealand

If you tune into Radio New Zealand National just after 4pm today, then you may find yourself listening to an intriguing hour-long discussion about crime fiction, with three of New Zealand's most successful and acclaimed crime writers: Paul Cleave, Vanda Symon, and Paul Thomas. Over the past few weeks Radio New Zealand has been broadcasting a small selection of the Writers and Readers sessions from the New Zealand International Arts Festival earlier this year. It's great that those who couldn't be in Wellington get a chance to hear some of the great onstage discussions that audiences loved at the festival.

Here's the official blurb for the fifth of the sessions to be broadcast, "New Zealand Crime":

Three of New Zealand’s most prominent crime writers – Paul Cleave, Vanda Symon and Paul Thomas – discuss how their stories are affected by their distinctly New Zealand setting. 

Paul Cleave’s Christchurch-set thrillers are critically acclaimed worldwide. His debut, The Cleaner, is one of the biggest selling novels to come out of New Zealand. 

Paul Thomas dragged local murder mysteries into modernity with popular thrillers in the late 1990s and early 2000s. After a decade-long hiatus, Thomas returns with Death on Demand. 

Called ‘New Zealand’s contemporary Queen of Crime’ by the NZ Listener, Vanda Symon is the creator of the bestselling Sam Shephard novels, set in Otago and Southland; the latest in the series is Bound. 

They talk with Craig Sisterson

For those who can't tune in, you should also be able to listen, either live or by playing an uploaded audio file following the broadcast, at the Radio New Zealand website here.

Graham Beattie discusses Ngaio Marsh longlist

Earlier this week, the longlist for the 2012 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel was released, with seven books currently being considered by the expert panel of New Zealand and international (UK, USA, Germany) judges. The finalists will be announced next month, with the winner named following a crime fiction debate and event at the Christchurch Writers' Festival later this year. The festival programme hasn't yet been released, but I understand there will be at least a couple of crime fiction sessions or events, with New Zealand and international crime writers, at this year's festival. It's great to see the Christchurch Writers' Festival return, after the 2010 festival was cancelled due to the first major Christchurch earthquake.

The longlisted titles for the 2012 Ngaio Marsh Award are:

• COLLECTING COOPER by Paul Cleave (Simon & Schuster)
• LUTHER: THE CALLING by Neil Cross (Simon & Schuster)
• FURT BENT FROM ALDAHEIT by Jack Eden (Pear Jam Books)
• TRACES OF RED by Paddy Richardson (Penguin)
• BY ANY MEANS by Ben Sanders (HarperCollins)
• BOUND by Vanda Symon (Penguin)
• THE CATASTROPHE by Ian Wedde (Victoria University Press)

On Tuesday, Finlay MacDonald (filling in for Jim Mora) chatted to Ngaio Marsh Award judge Graham Beattie (pictured above right) about the diverse array of books on this year's longlist. You can listen to Graham's initial thoughts about the longlist by clicking below.

Jeffery Deaver radio interview

Yesterday, Jim Mora interviewed bestselling US novelist Jeffery Deaver on his popular Radio New Zealand programme "Afternoons". I haven't had a chance to listen to the entire interview yet (it's 25 minutes long), but from what I've heard already, it's an interesting interview - covering song writing, Deaver's latest novel, XO (a Kathryn Dance novel that also brings quadriplegic criminalist Lincoln Rhyme, of BONE COLLECTOR fame - played by Denzel Washington in the Hollywood film adaptation), his writing of the latest James Bond novel, CARTE BLANCHE, creating a new James Bond cocktail, getting into writing, and honing and improving the skill and craft of intricate plotting and tension-building, amongst other topics.

Click on the below link to listen to Jim Mora's intriguing interview with Deaver, who is a very interesting man, as well as a talented storyteller.

Last year, I was fortunate enough to get the exclusive New Zealand interview with Jeffery Deaver in the lead-up to the release of CARTE BLANCHE. You can read the eventual feature article, for the Sunday Star-Times, here, and Deaver's 9mm interview, which I conducted when I met Deaver during his later New Zealand visit, here (see photo above right).

Are you a fan of Jeffery Deaver? What did you think of CARTE BLANCHE? Of the Kathryn Dance series?

Peter James radio interview with Paul Holmes

It was a great pleasure to catch up with British crime writer and CWA Chair Peter James over the weekend. He is a very interesting and engaging man, great fun to be around, as well as being a top notch crime writer.

James was in New Zealand for two events at the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival, and has also made/will be making appearances in Taupo yesterday, and New Plymouth (later tonight).

While James was in Auckland for the AWRF, he was also interviewed by well-known New Zealand broadcaster Paul Holmes, for NewsTalk ZB.

You can listen to that 11-plus minute long interview here.

You can also read a report of Peter James' first AWRF event here.

Greg McGee (Alix Bosco) on Radio New Zealand

This morning on Radio New Zealand, Greg McGee was interviewed by Kim Hill (listen above).

McGee is most famous amongst crime fiction fans for his two books starring middle-aged legal researcher Anna Markunas, written under the pseudonym Alix Bosco. His debut crime novel, CUT & RUN, won the inauguaral Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel in 2010, and the sequel, SLAUGHTER FALLS, was a finalist for the award last year.

McGee is a former junior All Black and All Blacks trialist who went on to gain fame for his rugby-themed stage play, "Foreskin's Lament". He has also been an award-winning TV screenwriter, working on shows like Erebus: The Aftermath, Street Legal, and Doves of War. This year, his first novel written under his own name, LOVE AND MONEY, is released - a novel set in 1980s New Zealand, which was an intriguing time politically, socially, and culturally. McGee is now working on a biography/autobiography of All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, and will be appearing at the upcoming Auckland Writers and Readers Festival.

Paddy Richardson talks about TRACES OF RED

Last week, Paddy Richardson's third psychological thriller, TRACES OF RED, was officially launched at an event in Dunedin. The early reviews have been very positive. Richardson was of course one of the finalists for the 2011 Ngaio Marsh Award for HUNTING BLIND. You can read US mystery author Margot Kinberg's review of that book here.

Yesterday, she spoke to Radio New Zealand about writing TRACES OF RED, which again underlines Richardson's skill at mixing creepy thriller plots that echo real life headlines with personal stories of people and relationships.

Here's the blurb for TRACES OF RED:

Rebecca Thorne is a successful television journalist, but her world is thrown into turmoil when her Saturday night programme is axed because of falling ratings. Not only will she lose her job but her big story on the convicted triple murderer Connor Bligh, whom Rebecca believes is innocent, has to be abandoned.

Rebecca's lover Joe, a married man and the barrister representing Bligh, also thinks Bligh is innocent – or does he? And if he loves Rebecca so much, why is he prepared to cast her off?

Meanwhile Bligh languishes in jail, convicted of three brutal murders and continuing to protest his innocence. He's clearly not a saint – but did he do it? Rebecca refuses to let the matter lie...

In a review for the Herald on Sunday, I said TRACES OF RED showed "Richardson excels at evoking the human aspects behind the plotline". My fellow Ngaio Marsh Award judge Graham Beattie also reviewed the book last week, saying TRACES OF RED was "psychological crime fiction at its best", and "the best she has written, and that is high praise" (read here). In a year which has seen some truly terrific crime fiction released by New Zealand authors, Richardson's latest further illustrates the growing depth and quality of the genre here. The 2012 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel is going to be another difficult call for the judges.

You can listen to Richardson talk about the writing of TRACES OF RED here. Hopefully New Zealand readers will get out there and buy this book, supporting quality local crime writing.

James Lee Burke chats to Radio NZ's Kim Hill

"James Lee Burke has been hailed as one of America's greatest contemporary novelists" ... Renowned New Zealand broadcaster and interviewer Kim Hill began a lengthy interview with Burke, broadcast on Radio New Zealand last weekend, with a pithy statement that I think truly sums up Burke's status. He is one of America's finest novelists, regardless of genre. His books are swirling gumbos packed with philosophy, allegory, imagery, literary references (subtle and obvious) and more, all entwined with violent plots and vivid, multi-layered characters evoked with great depth.

Burke is apparently talking to Hill about his thirtieth and latest book, FEAST DAY OF FOOLS (which he thinks is his best yet, touching on many issues surrounding neo-colonialism and the use of religion by fanatics and evil men to justify their actions, etc), but like my interview with Burke last year for the New Zealand Herald (read 9mm interview here, read Herald feature here), Hill ends up talking to Burke predominantly about much broader, universal issues than just his writing. I've listened to about half of the 40-mins plus interview so far, and it's an excellent discussion about a number of topics, ranging from religion to politics (and the corruption of both by extremists), history, and much more.

When you have time, it's well worth a listen. Hill is a good interviewer, and Burkes gives a great interview. You can listen to it online by clicking HERE.

Comments welcome.

Michael Connelly talks to Radio New Zealand

Last night Michael Connelly entertained a crowd of around 300 in Auckland during a fantastic evening that combined author talk, audience Q&A, a special New Zealand screening of the film adaptation of THE LINCOLN LAWYER, and a book signing session. He'd made a whistlestop trip to New Zealand as part of a longer Australian tour (he'd appeared at the Sydney Writers Festival and this morning returned to Australia for further events in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth) in support of his latest Mickey Haller novel, THE FIFTH WITNESS. It was a terrific night here in Auckland, and I will blog more about this at a later time.

In the meantime, I thought some of you may like to have a listen to a 30-minute interview Connelly had with Kathryn Ryan on Radio New Zealand yesterday morning. The full interview is now available to listen to online - CLICK HERE.

My Plains FM interview about the Ngaio Marsh Award

Last week, the day after the announcement of Alix Bosco's CUT & RUN as the inaugural winner of the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, I was interviewed live on air on Plains FM, a Canterbury radio station, about the creation and future of the Award, what books might be in the running for next year, and New Zealand crime fiction in general.

You can listen to the short (8mins) interview by clicking on the logo above, or here.

It's my first ever radio interview, so any feedback is welcomed. What books do you think might be in the running for the 2011 Ngaio Marsh Award? Have you read any Kiwi crime writers? What have you thought? Who are your favourites? Are New Zealanders a bit reticent at appreciating our creative people, compared to our sportspeople?

Terrific interviews: Val McDermid, Peter James, and more...

It's been a fantastic few days for crime fiction fans listening to Radio New Zealand, who in general are often an excellent media outlet here in New Zealand when it comes to giving some 'space' to crime fiction reviews and interviews, with terrific long interviews with 2010 Cartier Diamond Dagger recipient Val McDermid (44mins) and #1 bestselling British crime writer Peter James (30 mins), amongst other crime fiction content.

Fortunately for all of us who weren't able to listen to the interviews live at the time, Radio New Zealand archives these kinds of things online. For those of you who have some time, I heartily recommend having a listen.

On Saturday 28 August, well-known New Zealand radio personality Kim Hill interviewed Val McDermid. It's a truly terrific interview, beginning with McDermid talking about why some people like reading crime fiction - things like "the promise of resolution" and providing "a safe place to be scared", like a rollercoaster - before covering everything from Val McDermid's friendship with Gordon Brown and her thoughts on Tony Blair, to interviewing Moors Murderer Ian Brady's mother as a journalist, to her days at Oxford, thoughts on psychological profiling, and much, much more. You can listen to the full interview here.

On Monday, Jim Mora interviewed Peter James on his Afternoons programme. This too is a great interview, with lots of interesting discussion and insights. The pair cover everything from James' love of cars (and the tragic history of the WWII B-25 Mitchell bomber he used to own), his aim to provide insights into all three aspects in his crime novels - the criminal, the victim, and the police, the horror of rape as a crime, getting the reality of police work into his novels, his in-depth research, the bravery of real-life police, and the original inspiration and impetus for the creation of Roy Grace. You can read the full interview here.

It's another excellent interview, during which, after commenting on how James uses the names of friends (and enemies, he jokes) in his books, Mora asks near the end of the interview whether James would use the name of the first listener to text in, in one of his future books. After saying he'd be delighted to, and that he'll use it in the book he is currently writing (DEAD MAN'S GRIP), the interview continues. When Mora chooses the name of Sarah Papesh, he notes that already (within about 2-3 minutes) they'd had 479 people text in! When I met James that evening in Takapuna (see picture above left), he was simply astonished by the response.

In other good news for Kiwi fans, James mentioned that as he has family in Hamilton, he is considering involving New Zealand in some way in a future Roy Grace case. So keep your eyes peeled for that!

On Tuesday, Kiwi crime writer and Ngaio Marsh Award finalist Vanda Symon, the creator of the excellent Sam Shephard series set in the southern part of the South Island, reviewed the latest novels from two big name British crime writers who have been visiting our shores recently - McDermid's TRICK OF THE DARK and BAD BOY by Peter Robinson - for Mora's Afternoons programme. You can listen to Symon's reviews here.

Along with all the great crime fiction content on Radio New Zealand in the past few days, a couple of weeks ago they also had a reading from THE FALLEN, the local #1 bestseller from young Ben Sanders, and an interesting short interview with Sanders, where he talks about reading Michael Connelly and James Ellroy, and the creation of Sean Devereaux. You can listen to that interview here.

So what do you think of the interviews and reviews? Do you like listening to authors and reviews, as well as reading such features and reviews in the print and online media? Have you read any Val McDermid, Peter James, Peter Robinson, or Vanda symon books? What do you think? Why do you read crime fiction? I'd love to read what you think. Comments welcome.